Loma Linda University Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Studies is an organization that was established by the Department of Earth and Biological Sciences at Loma Linda University

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist coeducational health sciences university located in Loma Linda, California, United States. The University comprises eight schools and the Faculty of Graduate Studies...

 in 2010. The organization seeks to enhance public awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship

Environmental protection

Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...

. Visitors are able to view live animals representing various biodiversity hotspot

Biodiversity hotspot

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...

s around the world. Reflecting Loma Linda University's Christian philosophy, the center especially seeks to increase environmental awareness among members of religious faith groups, where environmental concern often lags behind that of the general public. While many praise the center for its efforts to encourage environmental stewardship, some have openly questioned whether it is an efficient way to effect real change.

Current status

Currently, the center operates out of Mortensen and Griggs Halls on the Loma Linda University campus. Visitors are encouraged to tour the center's facilities, which house the venomous snakes, arthropods, and endangered Caribbean boas currently being studied as well as a collection of additional animals used in educational programs. Visitors may also tour the department's biology and geology labs to observe the research that students and faculty are currently conducting in areas such as marine biology

Marine biology

Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...

, herpetology

Herpetology

Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...

, avian ecology

Avian ecology field methods

There are many field methods available for conducting avian ecological research. They can be divided into three types: counts, nest monitoring, and capturing and marking.-Basic counts:...

, venom

Venom

Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...

 use and variation, limnogeology, sedimentology

Sedimentology

Sedimentology encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, mud , and clay, and the processes that result in their deposition. Sedimentologists apply their understanding of modern processes to interpret geologic history through observations of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary...

, and taphonomy

Taphonomy

Taphonomy is the study of decaying organisms over time and how they become fossilized . The term taphonomy was introduced to paleontology in 1940 by Russian scientist Ivan Efremov to describe the study of the transition of remains, parts, or products of organisms, from the biosphere, to the...

. The center presents public nature shows, coordinates presentations by guest speakers, and offers field trips to both local and out of state destinations of interest.

Future plans

Renovation has begun on a nearby building where the center's animal collection will eventually be put on public display. The facility will feature Californian, Caribbean, South/Central American, African, Pacific Island and Australian/Asian biodiversity hotspot exhibits. Also planned are a marine exhibit featuring a shark tank and interactive tide pool, and an ancient environments exhibit.